You have chosen a name for your website and now you need server space for your webpages. Will the cheapest hosting package do? Perhaps, but make sure you understand the choices before you buy. Here are some of the basic considerations.
Reseller hosting
Data centres are often separate businesses; in this sense, a lot of hosting space is resold. This is usually nothing to worry about; however, if you outsource your web development to a small IT company, it is wise to check precisely who is selling you the hosting resources. Some small outfits buy hosting wholesale and are then free to sell it on under their own terms and prices. You may find that the space and RAM you need are throttled by the limited resources of the reseller. It is safer to set up your own hosting package with a reputable hosting specialist such as names.co.uk.
Shared hosting
With the cheapest type of hosting, your website files are on a server shared with many other websites. This means you are often battling other websites for access to the server’s processor and memory, and you can’t tweak the server settings to suit your own website. If your site is small and low traffic, shared web hosting is a sensible economy; however, if you need reliable speed, better security and the option to install your own software, you may need a better option.
WordPress hosting
Installing WordPress is normally OK on any shared package; however, WordPress hosting packages mean you only share the server with other WordPress sites and the server can be optimised for WordPress.
VPS hosting
With VPS, you are still sharing a server – usually with fewer sites – but your resources are guaranteed. You have control of your own server settings and your security is much improved.
Cloud hosting
The cloud enables your files to be spread across many locations, improving performance and making it easier to scale your resources to your needs. Ideal for a rapidly growing site or a seasonal business, cloud hosting is less ideal if you need high security.
Dedicated servers
This means you have a computer to yourself. This has security and performance advantages and gives you complete freedom to choose your operating system and software; however, you need to manage the server yourself, so you need some technical knowledge.
